Hatter cradled his head in his hands and rocked slowly, perched precariously on the edge of Alice's bed. It was still made, and very neat, since the last time it had been used was the last time she had been there. Alice, please come home, he pleaded silently. Please return to me my love. Four days have passed, and you have yet to even call. Quietly he threw himself back on the mattress and greedily inhaled what was left of her scent, feeling his deep anger and horrible sense of betrayal consume him in the silence of Alice's empty house. He crawled to her pillow and squeezed it to his chest, burying his nose against it and inhaling desperately.

This house is so unbearably hollow when she isn't here, Hatter realized miserably. She fills the rooms around her with such tender warmth that just thinking about it makes my chest ache. She's just like morning sunlight trickling in through a window—the sunlight I never felt in all those years in that cell. Oh how I missed her then…just as I miss her now…

Ding! Dong! The doorbell screamed, spreading like an unforgiving ripple through the peaceful air of the household. Hatter sat up eagerly and sprinted down the stairs, racing to the door.

"Please be her," Hatter breathed, his heart beating madly. "Please be Alice," he whispered, reaching out for the door handle. Quickly he pulled the door open, his breath leaving him all at once to see Alice standing on the doorstep. She wore a tight gray dress that ran down to her knees, and hugging her legs was a pair of black opaque leggings. Her long hair had been lazily braided and messily hung from the back of her head, but she had it draped over her left shoulder—which dipped as she hugged her sleeved arms to her chest fearfully.

"Alice," Hatter groaned. He lunged at her as he fell to his knees, hugging her waist and pressing his face into her stomach. With his usual lack of restraint he heaved in her natural scent, feeling her hesitant and ever so slightly trembling hands run through his hair. Despite the fact that she thinks I am a monster, she is still so gentle with me, Hatter thought bitterly, staining her dress with his tears. This woman is Alice! She is my Alice!

"Hatter," her beautiful voice murmured, slightly unevenly. Hatter squeezed her tighter.

"I was so afraid you wouldn't come back," he cried, burying his face deeper into her. "I was terrified I'd finally driven you away." Alice quietly bent and kissed the top of his head, massaging his scalp gently.

"Cheshire told me what really happened," she whispered. "But I came to hear your side of the story." Hatter raised his face to stare up at her incredulously. "I want you to tell me what was going through your mind as you…" Hatter lowered his head shamefully.

"She deserved it Alice," he grumbled. "You should have seen what she and that sick freak were doing to you."

"I know love," Alice assured carefully, still running her soft fingers through his hair. "I remember everything up until I blacked out." She paused to draw in a slow, even breath. "Why don't we go inside and make some tea? Then we can sit down and talk, alright?" Hatter nodded, sniffing miserably, and carefully got to his feet. As Alice stepped beside him through the door he held her hand firmly, shutting the door behind them, and once they reached the kitchen and she made busy arranging everything for the tea he hugged her fiercely from behind. He refused to let her go.

"Come on love," she cooed, turning to face him in his arms and hooking her arms around the back of his neck. She held him close, her confidence finally returning. "I can't make the tea if you're clinging to me like this."

"You were gone for four days," Hatter whispered, still haunted by the days he had spent in solitude. "I took my medicine every day, just in case you came back." Hatter watched as pools of moisture hugged her lower lids, and the brief hurt that flooded her eyes wrenched his heart out.

"So you took your medication all on your own," she breathed with a gentle smile. "I'm so proud of you love."

"I will do whatever it takes to keep your love Alice," he vowed, lowering his head and touching his forehead to hers. They closed their eyes together. "You are my only sanity in this world of madness. My only constant. My only love." His voice cracked. "I was so lost without you." Alice flinched, tears trickling from her closed eyes. They stood like this for a long time—holding each other, their foreheads touching, their tears streaming down their cheeks and dripping from their chins—until finally Alice collected herself and cleared her aching throat.

"Queenie and her husband had me on the bed," she began, her voice slowly growing steadier as she spoke. "They had drugged me and were…doing things to me. You found out I was there and called everyone for back-up to find me. Since the mansion was so big, you all split up. You and Cheshire found Queenie's bedroom and stormed in to see me…the way I was. I had blacked out by then. What happened next?" Hatter's hands squeezed her sides. His brow furrowed, but neither of them opened their eyes—they weren't ready to see each other yet.

"I saw what they had done to you," Hatter told her, his voice hoarse from his pain. "I saw that damned masochist's cum all over you and I…I gave in to the madness Alice. I grabbed him by his hair and pulled him off of you. When he started struggling, Cheshire helped me pin him to the wall by the door, and I told Cheshire to hold him there." Hatter began to relax as he perfectly recalled the calm that had settled over him that night. I was going to kill everyone, Hatter remembered darkly. And I could think of every minute detail. What weapon I was going to use, how I would stage everything, what I would say, what I would make them feel before I finally allowed them death. I planned it all in a matter of moments in my head, and it was perfect. Every detail was perfect.

"What happened next?" Alice breathed. He sucked in a breath.

"I pulled out my blade," Hatter continued. I withdrew it slowly, watching the fucker's once dazed and pleasure-filled gaze sharpen on the shining blade as I opened it. His waiting stare caressed my blade, and his breaths came faster and heavier. I could smell you all over him Alice, even your most secret and subtle of scents. He reeked of you. "Then I slit his throat." Slowly I placed the blade against the side of his neck, just below his left ear, then I asked him a single question. By the look in his eyes I could tell we both knew that he was going to die by my blade that night; that these were to be his final words. He straightened his back and an appropriate level of composure fell over him.

'How did she taste?' I had asked. He dreamily smiled, and in a single sigh he answered.

'Scrumptious.'

My blade bit into his flesh, and I tore my hand to the side. Blood sprayed in all directions, thick and fragrant, but I shoved his twitching body through the door and watched him land in the hallway just outside of the bedroom. Slowly he stopped convulsing, and his blood pooled around him like a halo. I wiped my blade against my already soaked jacket and turned to the bitch.

"Queenie was watching from the bed," Hatter went on. "She hadn't moved. I'd killed her husband and she didn't even blink, the heartless—" he stopped himself. She was Alice's best friend. I shouldn't speak ill of her around Alice, regardless of what happened, Hatter thought angrily. He took another deep breath to calm himself. "I saw the needles on the bedside table and told Cheshire to grab one. He brought it to me and without hesitating I injected it into myself. I knew they had given it to you—they were so careless with where they shoved those needles into your delicate skin my love. I could see the holes in your arms from the doorway."

"Then you felt it," Alice whispered shakily. Hatter nodded.

"I felt it," Hatter answered quietly. "The raw desire that coursed through my body as that drug coursed through my blood. I saw you laying there and I had nothing else in my mind. I needed to wake you with my deepest kiss, my most intimate embrace, my dark gift. I approached you, but Queenie got in the way. In my anger I struck her and sent her flying. She retaliated with her damned claws and when she scratched me, I got angrier. I remember grabbing a fistful of her needles. I pinned her down on the floor with my knees and one hand, and as she punched and spat and bit at me I told Cheshire to grab the needles. I held her down and one by one Cheshire and I slowly injected her chemicals into her, watching as her body began going limp. We found one of her hooks for her sick playing with her husband and decided to string her up.

"I lost all interest in her. I turned to see you, just lying there, and all I knew was that I had to wash their filthy scents off of you. I needed to destroy all traces of them on you forever. I pleased you Alice, and your body moved with mine. You began moaning as their drug wore off, and the thick haze in my head deepened until suddenly I could no longer bear to keep myself up. I lay on my back and watched as Cheshire taunted and chided as Queenie began to lose consciousness. He had stuck more and more needles into her, until no more were left." Hatter lowered his voice. "She overdosed from her own drug Alice."

"You killed her together," Alice croaked. Hatter finally forced his eyes open, just in time to watch Alice do the same. "Why did you leave me there Hatter? Why did you make me wake up to see that?"

"I could hardly walk on my own," Hatter shook his head. "I knew you were safe where you were. I got dressed, and then I remembered that I had run into a few of the servants on my way to find you. I wouldn't be surprised if the others caused some ruckus too—none of us has really talked about it since we last saw each other before splitting up. I needed to escape before the cops showed up Alice. I'm sorry if I made you feel abandoned."

She is so gorgeous, he noted with a twinge of self-loathing. I am nothing in comparison. How could she love a beast like me? He squeezed his eyes shut as another painful thought permeated his usually conveniently narrowed mind. Even if she didn't love me, I can't live without her anymore. I wouldn't be able to survive without her. She is stuck with me, because even if she sent me away I would never leave. I can't leave. To leave would be the death of me, and I do not want to die. Please Alice, my love, my life, never stop loving me. I know I don't deserve it, but the thought of you leaving terrifies me. Don't leave me. Don't leave me. Don't leave me.

"Hatter?" Alice inquired weakly.

"Don't leave me," he begged pathetically, pressing his lips to hers. "Please don't leave me." She did not return his kiss. The madness was slowly returning.

"Hatter, wait," Alice tried interrupting his kisses. Hatter held her upper arms firmly and would not let her escape. He began kissing her deeper.

"Hatt—"

"Pl—"

"HAT—"

Slowly Hatter reached for her neck and delicately began running his fingertips up and down its length. She immediately responded, half-stifling a moan of pleasure. She still loves my touch, he joyously discovered. He moved his careful barrage on her senses from her neck to what was exposed of her shoulders, and when she had finally stopped resisting he moved up to the back of her head. She began groaning as he massaged her hairline, and the moment he pressed his waist against hers she shivered and pushed just as hard against him.

"You still want me Alice?" he whimpered dizzily. A deep crimson blush had overtaken her face.

"Don't stop," she begged. "Please don't stop." Hatter couldn't suppress his smile of relief.

"Should we take this to your bed my love?" he inquired, kissing her neck. She shivered again and shook her head.

"Here is fine. Anywhere is fine. Just please…don't stop…"

"You would let a murderer please you Alice?" Hatter panted, unable to stop his hands. I need to feel her. I need to feel all of her.

"My poor Mad Hatter," Alice moaned as he pressed her back into the counter. She hopped onto it eagerly and spread her legs. "You may be a murderer, but you are also an avenger." Hatter paused for a brief moment.

"You…aren't angry at me?"

"I am," she admitted, her eyes full of her desire. "But if you never made me angry, I would know this was fake. Hatter, you are undeniably real. The pain, the torment, the pleasure, the love. All of it is genuine. All of it is real. Not drugs, or delusions, or expectations. What we feel for each other is absolute, and—ah!" Hatter chuckled.

"Let me fill that head of yours with haze my love," he smirked. "I think we both need it, after four days apart." After that she did not speak, unless it was to scream his name.

"That damned rabbit will pay for hiding her for so long," Hatter grumbled to himself once Alice had fallen asleep. She lay wrapped in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder, and just to hear her breathing as she slept was a glorious treat. "If he dares to try using this to lock me away again, he's got another thing coming."

"Hatter?" Alice groaned, stirring.

"Hush baby, go back to sleep," he cooed tenderly. "Dream more of the haze darling. You shouldn't wake yet." She eagerly obeyed, settling against him once more, and Hatter stroked her hair.

Now that I have her back, my plan can finally finish my plan.